THREE men who fought in front of families during a pub brawl have been jailed.

The drugs dispute saw glasses and chairs thrown across the Nelson pub, Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday.

The prosecution said the fight between two groups of men erupted at the Cowley pub at about 4pm on Friday, February 15 last year.

Ali Hussain, Waheed Akram and Amjad Mohammed were given nine-month sentences yesterday for their roles in the brawl after admitting affray.

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The court heard charges against Conrad Haye – who was seen on CCTV running across tables throwing glasses – were later dropped.

Prosecutor John Law said witnesses described the brawl as like a “Western film”, with the men going at each other “hammer and tongs”.

He said an unidentified man with a ponytail pulled a knife and was seen throwing glasses.

He added: “Miraculously no one innocent was hurt.”

Claire Fraser, defending Akram, 33, of Bartlemas Close, said that he had pleaded guilty on the basis that he was attacked first. Nigel Daly, defending Hussain, of Golden Road in Hillock, Birmingham, said his client, 30, admitted throwing a glass but denied throwing a sign through the window. Mohammed’s lawyer Anthony McGeorge said his 34-year-old client, of Randolph Street, had not gone looking for violence.

Judge Gordon Risius, sentencing, said: “It seems the incident involved two groups of males who may have had some involvement in drugs. There is a suggestion it was a turf war involving the selling of drugs.

“Affray is not a trivial offence because it involves making other people fear for their safety, which is not something that appears to bother greatly any of you, given your history.”

The Nelson, in Between Towns Road, was shut down last month.

 

 

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